Daily observed, modelled, and infilled river flows for an Irish hydrometric reference network of river flow stations

Here we present a dataset of observed, modelled, and infilled daily river flow data relating to the newly updated Irish Hydrometric Reference Network (IHRN) of high-quality gauging stations located across the Republic of Ireland. Internationally applied selection criteria, analysis of historical observations and flow gauge metadata, stakeholder feedback, and trend assessments aided in the identification of the network’s 51 stations. A combination of the GR4J conceptual hydrological model and a backpropagation neural network driven by catchment specific precipitation and temperature extracted from gridded datasets was used to model flows that subsequently infilled gaps in the observational record for each of the series (from commencement of each station’s record till the end of 2022). Also included are the 2.5 and 97.5 quantile values for each station’s modelled data, which represent the upper and lower uncertainty bounds of the respective ensemble flows derived during the flow generation process. As well as providing a useful means for evaluating the impact of changing climatic conditions on Irish catchments, the IHRN data offers utility for assessing catchment based impacts for flow extremes, and the generation of both historical reconstructions and future climate projections for a range of flow regimes across the island of Ireland.